(Funk, disco, jazz, soul) Randa and The Soul Kingdom - Коллекция (2 альбома) - 2009-2011, MP3, -V0 new (~275 kbps)

#77701. Feel It In Your Soul (2:36)
02. Not Gonna Let You (3:46)
03. Getting Down To It (4:02)
04. I Do What I Do (3:16)
05. Lysistrata's Quest (3:42)
06. More Than Enough Love (2:33)
07. Holding Strong (3:36)
08. You Can Make It Funky (4:43)
09. Find Your Groove (2:59)
10. On The Road (2:54)

#77701. Power In Me (3:17)
02. Love Sick (3:10)
03. The Things (4:53)
04. Watch It (2:25)
05. Slide (3:10)
06. Save Us (3:48)
07. Cold (4:06)
08. Be Yourself (2:36)
09. What You Need (4:02)
10. Now I'm Free (4:45)

Hailing from Perth and firmly at the forefront of the Australian funk and soul scene are Randa & The Soul Kingdom led by Jordanian born and Australian raised soul sister Randa Khamis.
With producer Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos, Cookin On 3 Burners, Lanu, Black Feeling) at the controls of the debut self titled album, the result was bristling with edgy, gritty funk and soul. The buzz on Randa And The Soul Kingdom led to a full European tour with label mates Deep Street Soul, a live session for Mark Lamarr on BBC Radio 2. Randa was being lauded as a modern day equivalent to Marva Whitney, Ann Sexton and Vicki Anderson in their prime by Mojo Magazine, Blues & Soul and Randa's music even featuring in the US version of teen TV show Skins.
Instead of flying straight back to Australia after the tour, Randa spent 6 months residing in London collaborating with funk/soul artists to write her second album. Inspired and influenced by the music and musicians in London, the second album What You Need was born. Finally back in Melbourne, Australia she went straight into The Shed Studios where the songs were recorded and produced by Lance Ferguson and John Castle (Megan Washington) once again at the controls.
Whilst retaining the funk undercurrent, this new album What You Need also often incorporates elements of 60's and Northern soul, 70's disco and some more down tempo, reflective moments within what is a varied and mature collection of songs.

"Debut outing for Australian soul sister Randa Khamis, a steamy brew of blistering funk, impassioned soul vocals, produced by down under funk supremo Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos/Cookin' On 3 Burners/Lanu)"
Born in Jordan, raised in the working class suburbs of Perth, Australia, singer Randa Khamis caught the black music bug early. At the age of 12 she was talking her way into local clubs, desperate to dance to the sounds of James Brown, Parliament, Kurtis Blow, Ann Sexton and Aretha Franklin. Totally entranced by the music she heard, Randa decided then in her early teens that she could, would, and must become a soul singer."
Second LP for this highly respected Aussie funk and soul outfit and it seems like Randa Khamis and The Soul Kingdom have been engaging in a bit of generic expansionism resulting in annexation of the surrounding territories of disco and northern soul whilst maintaining a firm grasp over their original funky dominion. Indeed What You Need has been done so well I’d be hard put to classify it as anything than a super tight set.
A well-judged ten tracks long (pretty much any one of which could be a single) and produced by Aussie funk kingpin Lance Ferguson of Bamboos/ Cookin’ On Three Burners fame, the LP is also characterised by playing that draws from the best of mid-sixties to mid-seventies funk and soul sounds while resolutely (and correctly) steering clear of noodling and pretentious jazzy stylings. Oh yeah – and then there’s Randa herself. I’m not a massive fan of singing which leans towards the vibrato but there’s no denying the power in these pipes and her vocal style chimes particularly well with some of the cuts on here – notably disco scorcher and debut single from the album The Things – which also comes complete with added Marlena Shaw-style scat vocal motif.
Northern soul boys will lap up Be Yourself and Save Us but aside from the aforementioned The Things it’s first two tracks Power In Me with it’s loose sixties style funk and particularly soul burner Love Sick that bang. What you need indeed.

2011
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Phil Noy
Bass, Keyboards, Percussion – John Castle
Drums – Graeme Pogson
Guitar – Lance Ferguson
Producer – John Castle, Lance Ferguson
Trumpet – Cameron McAllister
Vocals – Randa Khamis
2009
Bass – John Castle
Drums – Ivan Khatchoyan
Guitar – Lance Ferguson
Saxophone [Baritone] – Phil Noy
Saxophone [Tenor] – Anton Delecca
Trombone – Marty Pervan
Trumpet – Jimmy "The Lips" Murphy, Ross Irwin
Vocals – Randa Khamis